Need help in New Mexico marriage situation

Santa Fe, NM | April 22, 2013 6:33am

my boyfriend and i are Muslim. He left the country last June (2012) and married a woman in another country in the middle east. Then came back. last fall August (2012)we got married in new mexico, it was a religious marriage, not legal. But he also never divorced the woman he married. I know who she is, an she is moving in with us this summer or fall. With him being legally married to her and religiously to me, and we act as a full family unit, are we breaking any laws? Is there anything i should be concerned of? Currently there are no biological children of this union between us two or the two of him. Just children from previous relationships. But we may or may not each carry his child, it is yet to be properly discussed.

In Saudi Arabia, in Afghanistan or Pakistan you wouldn't be breaking any laws, nor as am almost sure in San Francisco, but anywhere else in the country am afraid that you are.. Even Mormons in Utah or Nevada don't do this sort of thing anymore (at least not in the open...)

To get a meaningful answer about the legal ramifications of... this "arrangement" you may want to repost this question in the family law section. Let's hope also attorneys from Utah will respond..

Behar Intl. Counsel 619.234.5962 Kindly be advised that the answer above is only general in nature cannot be construed as legal advice, given that not enough facts are known. It is your responsibility to retain a lawyer to analyze the facts specific to your particular situation in order to give you specific advice. Specific answers will require cognizance of all pertinent facts about your case. Any answers offered on Avvo are of a general nature only, and are not meant to create an attorney-client relationship.

The state will recognize only one marriage to her. Your marriage is void as polygamy. If you give birth to his child you can claim him as father and later seek child support in a paternity suit, but not as husband and wife.

Your religion and ethnicity will be accepted by many in Santa Fe, but your threesome less so. I doubt you will run into legal problems but you probably should not reveal these marriages to others. You can simply say you three are housemates. And as for your child, the parents are not legally married. There is no need for others to know more than that.